Thursday, January 6, 2011

Low Carbing and My Hospital Experience #lowcarb

I mentioned that my doctor tried to keep me on a "heart healthy" diet in the hospital. All those grains and sugars (natural and otherwise) would have made me sick...but let me back up. As they took my history, both this time and when I was admitted for my surgery last month, the nurses always gave me an incredulous look both when I told them that I am not diabetic, and when I told them that I don't have cholesterol issues. I'm a middle-aged fat woman after all, how can this be?

I can tell you how it would NOT be, and that is if I were following a "heart healthy" diet!

The doctor finally consented to give me a regular diet, so I would "have more choices" (read: eat more fats!) And after that I chose real egg dishes (an omelet NOT made with fake eggs), real meats/fish, things with cheese on them, etc. What I ate isn't that important; what is important is that I was in charge of what I ate, and didn't have to choose my foods from the low-fat/high-carb menu.

Anyway, while I was in there, I had every heart and lung and blood test there is, in addition to a test to check the integrity of my wrap (the nissen fundoplication that was done on Dec. 1st) - everything was perfect...beautiful...all clear...words my doctor used.

(On a side note, the nutritional lady from the dietary dept. came up to my room at one point to ask me if I had an explanation for the 20# weight loss over the last month, or did they need to check into a possible cause? Weight loss is a side effect of the nissan fundoplication I had, as I explained to her, along with low carb eating - even though I ate some carby foods during the first couple of weeks after the operation.)

To me, this plus the fact that I AM a middle-aged fat woman without cholesterol or diabetes issues, is all due to the low carb (5-10% of my intake), high fat (75ish%), moderate protein (15-20%) diet that I have lived on for nearly 7 years, and nothing else...especially considering I DID have a "prediabetic" label stuck on me, and high triglycerides and LDL with low HDL, in the months prior to starting my lowcarb way of life.

Once again, for the bazillionth time, the low carb way of life has been vindicated.

2 comments:

  1. I've been reading backwards on your blog today to get caught up. I'm so glad that you do not have those other health issues and that Low Carb living has been so good for you. I started the low carb lifestyle back in July 2010 and lost a total of 32 pounds in 4 months and have kept it off. I do have high cholesterol but with the new life style, it is coming down (my doctor was surprised at that) and hopefully if it continues to come down I will be abel to cut my meds in 1/2! Yes, Low Carb living is the way to go!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I appreciate your interest, LynnMarie :). I envision a day when doctors, rather than being surprised, recommend a low carb lifestyle for blood lipid control as well as weight, wouldn't that be wonderful?

    Congratulations on your weight loss, that's GREAT!

    ReplyDelete